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1730 And that's it for today as Day Three of Liberal Democrat Conference draws to a close in Brighton - well, the official version, anyway. Team Telegraph will be keeping an eye on the fringe and no doubt sampling the mood in the bars tonight. The liveblog will be back tomorrow to let know you how they get on.

1700 Cathy Newman's got Vince in a free and frank mood in her Channel 4 News interview to be screened at 7pm. He says he's not too old to be leader at 69, and that if the Conservatives aren't up for the mansion tax idea then it might be one for a future Lib/Lab Coalition.

1633 Phew - Danny Alexander has stumbled to the end of his Q&A session. There was clear unease among delegates, who seem to feel that the leadership was failing to do enough to differentiate the Lib Dems from the Conservatives. After that polite but nonetheless rather bruising going-over, Mr Alexander probably won't be looking forward to getting back on the conference stage. Tough luck - he's delivering the key-note speech tomorrow afternoon.

1629 Alexander claims that the Coalition has been an "immensely strong and stable Government for this country". He says public and markets are confident that it will see the distance to 2015.

1622 Alexander isn't impressing many with his rather tetchy performance. He's just criticised a questioner for asking about the Conservatives' position, saying he's more interested in what the Lib Dems think. The Mirror's Kevin Maguire tweets:

1619 Danny Alexander is often accused of drinking the Coalition cool-aid to such an extent that he's gone native at the Treasury and is too buddy buddy with George Osborne. He's fighting back manfully in his Q+A with a little joke about Grant Shapps' identity crisis, telling a delegate called "Matthew Green" he thought it was "Michael Green" for a moment. Barely a laugh.

1617 Answering a question on Europe, Alexander claims that he's the second most pro-European Lib Dem in town. He says a referendum would be a "total distraction" from the problems facing the country.

1606 A lady called Hermione from Hartford asks Alexander if there is a way to publicise the differences the Lib Dems have with the Tories within the Coalition. Alexander says: "I don't think we need any help with that!" She hits back: "We do need to be able to show that a vote for a Lib Dem is not a vote for a Conservative."

1602 Alexander is asked how Lib Dems on the ground can woo back voters. "It takes time," he says, advising a lady from Zac Goldsmith's seat of Richmond to "sell the message" of what the party has achieved in Government.

1558 Perhaps Mrs Clegg didn't enjoy spending her 13th wedding anniversary with Lib Dem delegates in Brighton. AP is reporting that Hurricane Miriam has become a major Category 3 hurricane off the coast of Mexico.

1557 Alexander pledges to continue drive to ensure that no one will pay tax if their income is lower than min wage. "We have the opportunity to stake our claim as the only economically credible and progressive party in British politics," he says.

1556 Sky's Glen O'Glaza is feeling a bit lonely:

&lt;noframe&gt;Twitter: glenoglazaSky - Seem to be far fewer delegates at Lib Dem conference this year Still trying to work out why&lt;/noframe&gt;

1553 Continuing his question and answer session with delegates, Alexander says that University College London data shows Lib Dems have secured 75% of their manifesto pledges, while Conservatives have won only 60%.

1551 Looks like Andrew Mitchell-baiting is all the rage down in Brighton. Now Danny Alexander's at it. Saying he understands how the difficult time the Lib Dems are going through means it's hard on the doorstep, he says many are having to get used to having people cross the road to avoid them: "A feeling now shared by Andrew Mitchell in Downing Street." Arf arf.

1548 Baroness Williams has told the BBC she wasn't keen on the Coalition at the beginning, but important for state of economy to back it now. Within that, she wants clearer Lib Dem stance on social issues, especially welfare cuts. On Nick Clegg:

"I don't always agree with him but I think the level of guts he shows ... has actually carried a lot of Liberal Democrats behind him.

1542 More from that Ed Davey Channel 4 News interview - a rather less than collegiate analysis of the current state of the Conservative Party:

I think the issue we have with our Conservative colleagues is that they are not all united around what is sometimes called the detoxification strategy. Some of them want to remain toxic.”

1534 Peter Bone isn't impressed by what he's heard about Vince Cable's Business Bank. He told ITV: "I haven't seen any of it, but it's almost certainly wrong."

1515 Ipsos Mori has put out a poll showing that Vince Cable is the preferred choice of leader among those who voted Liberal Democrat at the last election. Overall, twice as many said that they would be more likely to vote Lib Dem if he was in the top job (12% to 6%)

1512 Tim Farron isn't afraid of the elements, apparently. Or of appearing smug. He tweets:

&lt;noframe&gt;Twitter: Tim Farron - Just off for a run to Hove and back! Then a packed afternoon of &lt;a href="http://search.twitter.com/search?q=ldconf" target="_blank"&gt;#ldconf&lt;/a&gt; fringes :) &lt;a href="http://search.twitter.com/search?q=libdems" target="_blank"&gt;#libdems&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/noframe&gt;

1504 James Kirkup reports:

Ed Davey has been at a fringe 'conversation' with Gary Gibbon of Channel Four. As well as some very personal observations about his childhood (he was orphaned), his child (disabled) and his role in the demise of Charles Kennedy (central, traumatic), he had a few observations about his Conservative colleagues:

"'The issue we have with our Conservative colleagues is they are not all united around the detoxification strategy -- some of them want to remain toxic. There is a debate going on in the Tory party. It is not settled.'

"'David Cameron, he said, has "got some party management to do,' he added."

1444 Lord Ashdown has hit the fringe to claim that the tuition fees pledge was "opportunistic". But he still reckons Nick Clegg is the best leader the party has had for 100 years.

1429 Cable has denied that his speech was an all-out attack on his deputy, Michael Fallon, with his crack at those who find sacking workers an "aphrodisiac". He said: "(Mr Fallon) is a very sensible guy and we have a very good working relationship. He is not actually dealing with employment law and we have a very sensible, middle of the way solution.

"We are not proceeding with measures which involve hiring and firing but we are making it easier for small companies to deal with relationships that break down, to make tribunals more efficient so that they (businesses) don't get caught up in red tape. I was just having a mildly humorous pop at those at the extremes of the debate." With mild humour like that...

1351 Mr Cable's speech has gone down well with the CBI, anyway. Director-General John Cridland has issued a press release saying:

Vince Cable concentrated on the key issue of the moment - growth. It is always tempting for politicians to play to their conference gallery, and I am pleased that Vince's speech went to the heart of the growth debate.

"A new-style boutique, Government-backed bank for growth firms can bring something new to the business lending toolkit The big gripe today from many growth businesses is a gap in the market for long-term investment finance. The new £1bn wholesale fund will enable banks to provide 'patient capital' to high growth businesses."

1338 Now Vince has popped up on Sky. He rejects the suggestion that he is closer to Labour than the Conservatives. Hollow coughs all round.

1336 The Beeb's Norman Smith adds:

&lt;noframe&gt;Twitter: norman smith - Any bets on some enterprising stall holder flogging "Proud to be a Pleb" mugs...? # easymoney&lt;/noframe&gt;

1334 BBC Pol Ed Nick Robinson says that "word has gone round" from Lib Dem high command that ministers and MP should shut up about Mr Mitchell now. The fear is that gate-gate is overshadowing conference. Well, they're right; it is.

1333 In the comments below, lauchenlode says: "Sounds as if Cable's lining himself up for the unenviable task of leading the LibDems out of politics. Perhaps in retrospect he'll wish he'd left it to Mr Plebb and kept his reputation intact." Do you agree? Have your say in the comments.

1326 The Mail's Tim Shipman isn't having much fun on the conference fringe:

&lt;noframe&gt;Twitter: Tim Shipman (Mail) - A woman with bright green hair has just arrived at the Laws fringe. This is the most exciting thing that has happened so far &lt;a href="http://search.twitter.com/search?q=ldconf" target="_blank"&gt;#ldconf&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/noframe&gt;

1324 Despite his pleb joke, Mr Cable came over all shy when asked on WatO to comment further on Andrew Mitchell's difficulties with the police. "I have absolutely nothing to add to what my colleagues have said," he said. Well, they seemed to think that Mr Mitchell had questions to answer...

1323 Cable has half-heartedly shrugged off his friend and ally Lord Osborne's suggestion that Mr Clegg might not remain as leader going in the general election, saying the two don't always agree.

1322 Osborne is apparently less keen on the mansion tax. "I still have some work to do," Cable says.

1321 Mr Cable tells WatO his mansion tax doesn't contradict Nick Clegg's call for higher taxes for high earners. For all of his lefty reputation, he seems far cooler than Mr Clegg on taxing those on £50,000-a-year, saying he's more interested in the super-wealthy who avoid paying anything like their fair share.

1320 Lordy Ashdown at the Populus / Times fringe has said Lib Dems shouldn't worry about polls mid-term. Because that worked really well for him.

1318 Now Vince ison the World at One, denying suggestions that George Osborne is opposed to his business bank: "I'm working very closely and actually harmoniously with the Chancellor on this."

1316 Good point from the FT's Kiran Stacey:

&lt;noframe&gt;Twitter: kiranstacey - Cable bashed Mitchell yes, but his veiled attack on Fallon was stronger: Tory rtwingers see firing people as an aphrodisiac. &lt;a href="http://search.twitter.com/search?q=ldconf" target="_blank"&gt;#ldconf&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/noframe&gt;

1315 A quick check of the text of Mr Cable's speech as emailed out by the Liberal Democrat press office earlier shows that the pleb / Eton joke was not in the official version. But the Ed Mili texting joke was.

1249 Thomas Pascoe on Cable's pronouncements on banking:

Vince has re-affirmed the intention of the Coalition to forcibly separate investment and retail banks, as per the Vickers report. The move will lead to riskier investment banking strategies, not calmer ones. As investment banks will lose their cheap deposit bases, they will need to generate higher returns to pay for higher borrowing costs. This means more casino style banking, not less.

"Unfortunately, we will still be on the hook for the results. Banks have learnt that their insurance comes from being too systematically important to fail. Unless retail banks are excluded from contracting with investment banks entirely, the health of the City banks and the high street banks will continue to be entwined."

1246 Wowser - Cable says that he doesn't think the public will give any party a majority at the next election, and says the Lib Dems should be at the heart of any Coalition which comes to power as a result. He also said that the Lib Dems should opearte as a totally separate party from the Tories as they go into the next stage of the electoral cycle.

1244 Now here's the pleb joke I promised: "I don't know what Boris and Dave got up to at Eton. Perhaps a pillow fight got out of hand in the dormitory. I know that class jokes are bad for the unity of the Coalition. But as a mere pleb I couldn't resist it."

1243 Vince Cable has now begun the political bit - saying he knows that being in Coalition has been difficult for the party. For Nick Clegg, Cable's annual speech must feel like like Gordon Brown's used to for Tony Blair. An alternative leader's address.

1239 Michael Deacon says of the speech so far:

Cable going down well in his leadership audition, I mean conference speech, especially with jokes about his unpopularity with Tories and his dismissal of 'headbangers' like Adrian Beecroft who find firing people an 'aphrodisiac'. Speaking confidently and firmly, though as ever there is an occasional Thunderbirds wobble to his head and arms."

1237 Mr Cable addresses calls for higher rates of tax along the lines of those being planned by French President Francois Holland, saying he prefers a "chatauu tax".

1235 Big dig at Michael Fallon there - Cable criticises those who treat sacking people as an "aphrodisiac". This two weeks after he and Fallon got into a ding dong over whether the Governments proposals to change the rules around employment tribunals would make it easier for bosses to axe workers.

1233 Now on to the serious stuff. Mr Cable says of his business bank: "I am working with the Chancellor to develop a new institution that will combine a billion pounds of new government capital with a larger private sector contribution. This will apply leverage through guarantees to support up to £10 billion pounds of finance to small and mid-sized business – a significant portion of all the lending currently available."

1230 Our Telegraph online polls have got a mention!. Cable says his lurches into tribalism meant he was named by Telegraph readers in our survey last summer as the Cabinet minister they most wanted to leave the government. Unfortunately, there was bad news for him in a more recent poll, when he was run into third place by both George Osborne and Theresa May: "Sadly, I have lost my badge of honour - not to one but to two Conservative colleagues. The fightback starts here."

1227 Ho ho - a little joke from Vince about his reported texting with Labour leader Ed Miliband. "I have good commuication from politicians across the spectrum." Holding up his phone, he went on: "Please Ed not now, this is not the time."

1225 Vince Cable has begun speaking - five minutes late, he begins with praise for Nick Clegg for his "courage" in making the Coalition work.

1224 The sensible wing has prevailed and a lefty attempt to pass a motion to reject Osborne's Plan A is overwhelmingly rejected.

1218 Mr Clegg also did a good job of chuckling merrily when asked about Boris Johnson's support for him in today's Telegraph column. "Well, that's something," he said.

1216 Nick Clegg has just been on Sky - he was asked to say whether Andrew Mitchell should remain in office, and rather markedly did not give his full backing. Instead, he tossed the hot potato over to David Cameron: "Clealry Andrew Mitchell said something wrong which he shouldn't have said to the police officer. He's apologised."

1214 Tony Grew tweets about the impact on Tropical Storm Nadine on Lib Dem Conference. There's a theme developing here. In the US, both the Republican and Democrat conventions were hurricane-lashed. Maybe God having his view on politicians...

&lt;noframe&gt;Twitter: Tony Grew - With the storm outside increasing the &lt;a href="http://search.twitter.com/search?q=ldconf" target="_blank"&gt;#ldconf&lt;/a&gt; is staring to resemble a 1970s disaster movie. The conf centre decor adds to the mood&lt;/noframe&gt;

1211 Finally some chewy substance at Lib Dem Conference. Delegates are debating whether it is right to support George Osborne's famous Plan A. Tim Farron has given his full support: "I'm in politics to work to avoid human misery. Scrapping the fiscal mandate would create avoidable human misery."

&lt;noframe&gt;Twitter: Jamie Lyons - Just went to dry my rain-soaked socks in the gents at lib dem conf. Embarrassing to have to make way at hand-drier for Nick Clegg&lt;/noframe&gt;

1144 James Kirkup has wrenched himself away from Lib Dem conference to blog on Andrew Mitchell - he says Downing St and the Chief Whip have mishandled the whole affair, and the latter's apology this morning has done little to improve matters.

1138 Lib Dem Don Foster has been kinder to Mr Mitchell. He told ITV's Alex Forrest it was time to "draw a line" under the incident. But Sir Menzies Campbell thought he still had some explaining to do.

&lt;noframe&gt;Twitter: Nigel Morris - Senior Lib Dems very very frustrated that Andrew Mitchell keeping them off the top of the news agenda &lt;a href="http://search.twitter.com/search?q=ldconf" target="_blank"&gt;#ldconf&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/noframe&gt;

1132 Norman Smith tweets on some more unhelpful comments for Andrew Mitchell from Lib Dem MPs:

1124 The Adam Smith Institute has dismissed Vince Cable's grand plan of a business bank as a "terrible idea." He went on: “It is astonishing that Mr Cable believes that he and his civil servants know what SMEs [small and medium enterprises] have viable business plans that deserve finance better than professional lenders and investors who live by making these decisions every hour of every day.

"The only result will be the establishment of a vast new state organisation with all the efficiency of the Post Office, and more bureaucratic control and regulation of the capital markets on which economic growth depends.”

1121 Danny Alexander has begun speaking on the green economy, kicking off with a jab at Labour. He told the conference: "It takes more than two years to clear up a mess left behind by the Labour party. Conference, we are only going to get our economy out of the red by moving into the green."

"We do still face huge challenges. None more so than on the green agenda. We have fought for decades on the environmental agenda. It must be at the heart of any long-term strategy for growth.

1113 James Kirkup reports further signs of grassroots bolshiness - and more trouble for Mr Clegg:

Rumblings here that the conference will later today vote against the Coalition's austerity plans. The vote is on an amendment to a motion on jobs and growth. The amendment effectively rejects the central Coalition argument that austerity is required to retain market confidence and keep gilt yields - the Government's borrowing costs -- at low levels.

"It says: 'It would be a mistake to attribute record low public sector borrowing costs to accelerated fiscal consolidation rather than to the flight to relative safety which has resulted from the failure of economic policies adopted by successive UK administrations.'

"It also deletes a proposed party committment to the Coalitions 'fiscal mandate', the plan to reduce the deficit.

"In a suggestion that the leadership is braced for the motion to pass, senior Lib Dem people here have started muttering about party rules that make such motions 'advisory' on ministers, and not binding."

1111 Away from the conference hall, Lord Oakeshott and Tim Farron have been on BBC Radio 5Live. Quite a few Lib Dem councillors called in demanding that Clegg go. Neither did much to dampen down such wild talk - Farron didn't rule out running for the top job himself.

&lt;noframe&gt;Twitter: Sebastian Payne - Winter has well and truely arrived in Brighton, weather is even more horrific than yesterday &lt;a href="http://search.twitter.com/search?q=ldconf" target="_blank"&gt;#ldconf&lt;/a&gt; &lt;a href="http://t.co/e7pACP48" target="_blank"&gt;http://t.co/e7pACP48&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/noframe&gt;

1100 More from Michael Deacon:

To highlight the dangers to pedestrians of electric cars (they're often too quiet for people crossing the road to hear them), there's a Lib Dem stall with a Scalextric track, on which Lib Dem politicians have been competing to see who can record the fastest lap. Beside the track is a Top Gear-style leaderboard. Top so far with an impressive 2.9 seconds is MEP George Lyon; Danny Alexander is a close second at 3.1 seconds and Vince Cable lies third at 3.2. Nick Clegg has yet to takepart but according to the woman dressed as Stig who's manning the stall, he has pledged to have a go later. Curiously, Steve Webb MP is listed as DNF, for Did Not Finish; according to the lady-Stig, "He started his lap but was called away urgently in the middle of it."

1058 Looks like the Lib Dems aren't going to be terribly supportive to Andrew Mitchell. Jeremy Browne, the home office minister, has said told the BBC: "I can understand as well why people fell that we need to get to the bottom of it, and explaining to the media what was not said is not the same as explaining to the media what was said, so there is a sort of sense of all the loose ends not being tied up."

1048 The first business proper of the day has been concluded - conference has passed a motion calling for increased investment in science and technology, including ring-fencing the science budget for 15 years, improving science and maths teaching in schools and ensuring that immigration rules do not prevent "bona fide students and experts to [coming[ to the UK". Now don't go promising things you can't afford, guys.

1046 I'm told that Cable will make a couple of gags in his speech about Mitchell's difficulty. The word pleg will be used. Naughty Vince.

1040 Michael Deacon again:

Various Lib Dem fringe debates are being held at the Hilton Brighton Metropole. Intrigued to note that this evening an attack on 'private profit' will be taking place in the hotel's Osborne Room."

&lt;noframe&gt;Twitter: Emily Ashton - Nick Clegg on Mitchell last night: "I'm wondering why he was so angry about using the side gate. He normally welcomes a move to the right."&lt;/noframe&gt;

1021Delegates to the conference are having to run a gauntlet of penguins this morning. Delegates dressed as the birds are staging a protest calling for a freeze - geddit? - on rail fares.

1015 Michael Deacon checks in from Brighton to report:

The hit of the Lib Dem conference so far: commemorative Nick Clegg 'I'm sorry' mugs, available from the official merchandise stall, have already sold out. All 48 were snapped up at the weekend. To meet demand, more are hastily being made now...

"Still available: a mug of Clegg bearing the legend 'Say What They Will - He Got Things Done in Time of Need,' Clegg 'I'm sorry' badges (three different designs, 85p each); a cuddly toy dog wearing a hi-vis jacket marked Liberal Democrats, and a book entitled How to Win an Election, written, somewhat curiously, by a Lib Dem."

1006 Worth noting that Clegg called on Mitchell to explain "fully and in detail" his version of events. Does the Chief Whip's brief statement really amount to that?

1006 Worth noting that Clegg called on Mitchell to explain "fully and in detail" his version of events. Does the Chief Whip's brief statement really amount to that?

1002 Looks like Lib Dem conference could be overshadowed entirely if Andrew Mitchell is forced to resign. So far his apology doesn't seem to be working. The Police Fed has repeated its call for him to resign.

1000 This afternoon, we have the Danny Alexander Q&A, followed by a motion to cut the speed limit to 20 mph.

0955 Also on the agenda today is a Q+A session with Danny Alexander, the Chief Secretary to the Treasury. Could be interesting, because some grass roots Lib Demmers accuse Mr Alexander of going native at the Treasury, and becoming too close to George Osborne.

0947 At least Nick Clegg has the backing of Boris Johnson - in his Telegraph column this morning, the London Mayor has issued a call to Save the Clegger. Away from the typically colourful language, Mr Johnson presents a cogent argument for how the Lib Dems have helped to sustain the Conservatives in Government through the Coalition. and he's got a soft spot for the "lovely, clever and funny" Mrs C - aka Miriam González Durántez.

Labour has already said that it's too little too late. But will the Lib Dems back him?

0938 Vicky Pryce has just popped up on Sky to share her views of the conference - yes, that's the Vicky Price who was in such an acrimonious split with former cabinet minister Chris Huhne a few years ago. Talk about rubbing it in.

0932 With exquisite timing, Mr Clegg also weighed in on the Andrew Mitchell saga, calling for the Chief Whip to explain himself just a few minutes before the man they call Thrasher came on to the steps of No 10 to do just that. Joined up thinking from the Coalition at last?

0931 Nick Clegg was on Radio 5Live first thing this morning, where he gave an almost convincing performance as a man who finds the autotune version of his apology most amusing. Over in the serious corner, he also popped up on Today, talking about higher taxes for higher earning. Most people regard a salary of £60,000-plus as "considerable," he said.

0930 Day two of Liberal Democrat conference is beginning in Brighton and the main event is Vince Cable, who will be sharing his business bank idea with delegates. Nick Clegg has been on the airwaves yet again explaining his tuition fees apology. And elsewhere, Andrew Mitchell has delivered a statement explaining his tired and emotional rant at police officers guarding No 10.